


A Lesson in Worth

by Mintey



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Mentions of Hartwin but in an undercover situation - nothing extreme; very brief.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-28
Updated: 2015-02-28
Packaged: 2018-03-15 16:37:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3454151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mintey/pseuds/Mintey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based off of <a href="http://itsabulldoginnit.tumblr.com/post/112299269143/new-headcanon-eggsy-quit-marine-training-because">this prompt</a> on tumblr.</p><p>Eggsy runs into his old trainer from the Marines on a mission. Suffice to say, things don't go too well, and the other Kingsmen are appalled.</p><p>Brief mention of Hartwin but in an undercover situation, and nothing extreme.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Lesson in Worth

Normally only one Kingsman is sent on any given mission, but under the circumstances, Merlin sends three. Their target is a Marine, and the only way they can successfully kidnap him is by confronting him at the Marine ball tonight. Eggsy is their ticket in, citing some bullshit about "congratulating old friends".

Roxy is the one who first notices Eggsy's discomfort. They're all sitting in the limo on the way to the ball, with Roxy situated between Harry and Eggsy, the later of which  _will not stop bouncing his damn leg_. 

"Would you stop already?" she asks him.

He doesn't stop bouncing, not even to answer, "Stop what?"

Roxy notes the nervous tone in his voice, the way his eyes are a bit more frantic than usual, that his hand has gone to his wrist to fiddle with his cufflink. She studies him for a moment, then says, "Never mind." Roxy purses her lips and meets Harry's gaze through the rear view mirror. 

They arrive at the ball, and Harry notes that Eggsy's posture is as straight as a rod. He's never stood that proper in his entire life, and trust him, Harry knows, because he's been trying to teach Eggsy how to carry himself better for the past three months. He decides not to comment, and follows Eggsy up the steps and into the ball.

Roxy's already found her ticket in, hanging off the arm of a pleased-looking Marine. Eggsy has no idea how she managed that so quickly, but he figures it's better not to ask. He's drawn back into the moment by the woman asking for his ticket. He fishes it out his pocket.

"Egs-." He clears his throat. "Gary Unwin," says Eggsy, "And this here is my sugar daddy," he says, his nerves getting the best of his humor, as he places a hand over Harry's chest.

The woman looks surprised and scandalized, but manages to cover it with a tight smile. Harry doesn't look amused. Feeling more uncomfortable than he had a minute ago, Eggsy looks down at his excessively shiny dress shoes. He distantly registers Harry guiding him into the ball with a hand on the small of his back.

Somewhere between the entrance and Eggsy's beeline straight to the bar, Harry breaks off to go stand at the opposite side of the room. Eggsy makes good use of his position and orders a Martini. He scans the room, meeting Harry's eyes, then Roxy's, then... oh shit, Spencer's.

Eggsy knew the odds of his ex-trainer being here were high, he just didn't want to believe it. Absently, his hand flies to rub at his left eyebrow. He forces it back down, just like he's forcing down the memories of training as Spencer makes his way across the room.

"Mister Unwin," greets Spencer, taking a seat next to Eggsy at the bar. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Just here to congratulate someone," Eggsy mumbles. He stares into his drink.

Spencer's fingers curl around Eggsy's chin. "Aww, don't be like that sweetheart," croons Spencer. 

Eggsy's gaze remains firmly fixed on the clear liquid in his glass. 

"I said." Spencer forces Eggsy's head up to face at him. "Let me see that pretty face of yours." 

A small voice in the back of his mind distantly notes any number of ways he could kill Spencer here and now: with the toothpick sitting on the bar, with the knife in his dress shoes, with the ink in the pen in his pocket. He doesn't choose any of those options, just ducks his head again. 

_Spencer slams him against the brick wall of the building, face-first. It'll leave a bruise, Eggsy can tell, to match all the other black, blue, yellow, and purple marks covering most of his body. He's taken to wearing long sleeves all the time just to cover it all._

_"You think you can just mouth off to me like that? I'm your superior, you will do what I say."_

_"No, sir," quips Eggsy, managing a shaky smirk. He knows Spencer's going to give it to him one way or another, so he might as well have some fun along the way._

_"No, sir, you don't think you can just mouth off? Or no, sir, you won't do what I say?"_

_"No, sir," repeats Eggsy, grinning at Spencer over his shoulder._

_Spencer spins Eggsy around to face him. "On your knees." He forcefully shoves Eggsy to the ground._

_His hand stings as it slaps across Eggsy's already-swollen cheek again and again. The slaps turn to punches, and the next time Eggsy spits, the saliva comes out a sickening crimson color. He smiles up at Spencer. "You gonna let me suck that big fat cock of yours?" he says, reaching out to squeeze Spencer's thigh. The thought repulses him, but maybe if he keeps up the act he'll get away with only a beating today instead of something worse._

_Spencer pulls him back up again. "Not anymore, you don't deserve that."_

_Eggsy is already mentally cheering at the victory when he sees Spencer's hand reach for something at his belt. The shine of the metal blade as Spencer flips it open causes any remaining humor to fall right out of Eggsy._

_"See if this teaches you a lesson," says Spencer. He pins Eggsy up against the wall with his forearm and brings the knife up to Eggsy's temple. He draws the tip lightly along the side. "Everyone thinks you're so pretty, you know. Let's see if we can't fix that."_

_Eggsy swallows, hard. Spencer trails the knife along his chin, then back up his cheek, stopping above Eggsy's left eyebrow. Then, all Eggsy can see is the red of blood as it drips down the side of his face, down his nose, over his browbone and into his eye._

Spencer's voice draws him back into the present. "Nice scar," he says, smirking. "It's good to know you'll always have something to remember me by."

Not that Eggsy even needs, or wants, a scar to remind him of Spencer. Eggsy manages a half-hearted, "Yeah," and tries to turn back to his drink. Spencer won't let him.

"Don't be like that,  _Eggsy_."  

Eggsy hates it when Spencer uses that nickname. "Don't call me that."

"I'll make you a deal," Spencer says. He leans in closer, too close for comfort, and whispers lewdly, "I promise not to call you it in bed tonight."

Roxy, already on alert from Eggsy's strange behavior, startles at the comment. She looks for Harry, tries to signal that something's gone terribly wrong, but the man is nowhere to be found. She can still hear Spencer propositioning Eggsy through her glasses as she makes her way to the bar.

"You always did take it so well," Spencer is saying when Roxy slides in between the two gentleman with an, "Excuse me."

"I'll have a shot of tequila, please," she says to the bartender, pushing her breasts out more than is strictly necessary. Roxy makes a show out of glancing seductively at Eggsy, who pays her no notice, and says, "Make that two." She pushes herself off the bar and turns her back on Spencer to fully face Eggsy.

Roxy says, "You look like you could use some company tonight."

Eggsy's eyes hadn't left Spencer until then, but when they do, they only briefly flit to Roxy before returning to the man behind her. Roxy can see the fear radiating off of Eggsy. He'd looked at her like a scared little boy just then, and she knows she needs to get Eggsy away from Spencer as soon as possible.

"C'mon, then," she says, making up her mind and throwing herself into Eggsy's lap, "I feel like dancing."

She's about to pull Eggsy away onto the dance floor when she feels herself being thrown off balance. Roxy stumbles onto the slick wooden floor, nearly falling entirely but righting herself just in time. Eggsy is actually looking at her now, and she hopes to God that Merlin and Harry just saw that through the glasses because she'd love an excuse to  _deck that man right fucking now._  

"Sorry,  _honey_ ," says Spencer, his voice full of venom, "But he's already taken."

"Ah, yes, quite right," a voice says from behind them, and Roxy turns to see Harry standing there.

Spencer bristles. "Who the fuck are you?"

Harry steps over to Eggsy and places a hand low on his back. "I'm his..." Harry pauses, looks to Eggsy. "What did you call it earlier?" He looks to Eggsy, but Eggsy's gaze is fixated on the ground. "Ah, yes, 'sugar daddy'," finishes Harry, the corner of his mouth tilted up. He knows something is terribly wrong when Eggsy doesn't crack a smile, doesn't even respond in the slightest. "Come along, then, Eggsy," he says. 

Harry leads Eggsy away from Spencer, nodding briefly at Roxy. She follows them into the men's restroom, which is thankfully empty, and locks the door behind them.

"Eggsy, are you alright?" she asks, hurrying over to her friend. 

Eggsy is hunched over the sink, leaning on it for support like he's torn between throwing up and passing out. He doesn't answer.

Roxy glances up at Harry, standing a few feet away. "You go, I've got him." Harry almost seems as if he isn't going to go, but he turns away, undoes the lock, and leaves the restroom. "Eggsy?" tries Roxy again.

He's staring at the marble of the sink, but all he can see is  _red, red, red_. The memories are all coming flooding back to him, and he feels sick. "I don't belong here, Rox," he says all of the sudden. Eggsy stands up, wobbling a bit as he does so, and hurries out into the crowded ballroom.

Roxy darts after him, but she can't tell Eggsy from the throng of people. "Harry. Merlin. I've lost him."

"He's outside, on the steps," comes Merlin's voice through her glasses. 

Roxy hurries outside, and sure enough, spots Eggsy's form curled on one of the steps, his arms hugging his legs and his head on his knees. She walks over to him and places a hand gently on his shoulder.

"Eggsy," she says, sitting down next to him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He ignores her question entirely. "He's always been right, you know."

"Sorry?"

"I'm worthless. I'm weak. I don't belong here."

"Eggsy, you know that's not true-"

"I failed the test," he whispers. "I didn't shoot the damned dog."

Roxy frowns. "That just means you've got a bit more heart than the rest of us," she tries. "Just because you failed that part doesn't mean you failed everything else. You're still an amazing fighter, and incredibly smart, Eggsy."

Eggsy continues staring forlornly into the distance. 

"Look at me, Eggsy." He flinches, and she cringes, realizing what she just said. "Sorry. Not what I meant." She settles for leaning gently against him. "Eggsy, don't let that guy get to you, alright? I mean what I said."

A pair of legs appear beside them, and Roxy looks up to see Harry standing next to them. "Time to go," he says.

"The target?"

"Taken care of."

"Come on, Eggsy," Roxy says. She stands up and offers him a hand.

"I'm not coming."

"What do you mean you're not coming? Of course you are," says Harry. "It's about time you get to see dressing room three."

Eggsy stands up then, faces Roxy and Harry. His expression is unreadable, and his eyes are dull as he says, "No thanks." Roxy and Harry exchange bewildered glances. "You two go on. I'll walk."

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first work, and it's unbeta'd, so all mistakes are my own. Feel free to correct any errors on continuity, characterization, or anything else.


End file.
